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(No Model.)

G. WATKINSON.

RUBBER BOOT OR SHOE.

No. 339,953. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

L. CANDEE & 00.,

OF SAME PLACE.

RUBBER BOOT OR SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,953, dated April13, 1886.

Application filed February 8, 1886. Serial No. 191.139. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE \VATKINSON, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inIndia-Rubber Boots or Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following, whentaken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked there on, to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification,and represent, 1n-

Figure 1, a face view of the sole complete; Fig. 2, a longitudinalcentral section of the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in soles for indiarubber bootsor shoes.

In the usual manufacture the sole is molded with the heel and tap-soleas an integral part of the principal sole.

In the wear of the boot or shoe the rear of the heel wears away morerapidly than any other portion of the boot or shoe. To avoid this wear,pieces of metal have been introduced at the rear portion of the heel toform a hard wearingsurface at that point; but as these metal pieces arenecessarily thin and attached by some device to the heel, they areliable to break or pull away, so that they become a source of very greatannoyance, and are practically objectionable.

The object of my invention is to provide against the extra wear of theshoe at this point; and it consists in forming upon the surface of theheel at the rear a raised portion integral with the heel itself, as morefully hereinafter described.

In the illustration I show a single sole complete, main sole, tap-sole,and heel'in one continuous integral piece. These soles are pro- 40 ducedeither by rolling a continuous sheet and cutting therefrom or may be bymolding individual soles.

Upon the face of the heel and at the rear I form a segment-shapedprojection, a, the outer 4 5 edge of this projection corresponding tothat of the outside of the heel proper. The shape of the inner edge isimmaterial; but preferably I make it ofa corresponding shape to theouter edge. Thisprojection extendspartiallyaround the heel, and so thatin walking this projection first meets the ground, and therefore takesthe wear incident to such first contact, and being made as anintegralpartof theheel it cannot tear away, does not materiallyinorease 5 5 theweight of the shoe, that portion of the heel except as to thisprojection being the same as in the usual construction, and the cost ofproduction is not increased to any considerable extent, but the wear ofthe shoeiat the heel is very greatly increased by such extension.

In standing the heel takes a bearing at its front edge and upon theprojection a, as indicated by the broken line, Fig. 2, so that the heelgives a firm support and bearing to the foot, substantially as if itpresented a flat face throughout.

I claim- A rubber boot or shoe the heel of which is provided with theprojection a upon its face at the rear, the said projection being madean integral part of the heel, substantially as described.

GEO. WATKINSON.

Witnesses:

FRED O. EARLE, EDW. S. FANCHER,

